Henal & Ravi

One day, I&nbspdownloaded a&nbspdating app called Dil Mil from Facebook. I&nbspswiped right on a&nbspfew profiles and continued with my day.

The next day, I&nbspmatched with a&nbspgirl named Henal and texted her, “What is your favorite animal? Turtle or Monkey?” What followed was an incredibly fast progression from totally unknown to fiancée.

Every day we’d talk between one and five hours about anything and everything. I&nbspwould text her between meetings. I’d call her after work. I’d think about her more than my work. After three weeks of spending every free moment on the phone, I&nbspdrove to Indiana to meet her for the first time.

The door opened and there stood a&nbspgirl wearing a&nbspred top, black pants, and red shoes. We just stood there for a&nbspmoment, giggling in the hallway with the door gaping open (she giggled more than I&nbspdid). We marinated in the contextual awkwardness.

That first date was a&nbspBollywood themed movie night with Mexican takeout. We watched a&nbspmovie about a&nbspwoman who is empowered after her childhood friend reneges on a&nbspmarriage proposal two days before the wedding. Though, my fiancée is not really into movies; about halfway through, she was sleeping in my arms on the couch. I&nbsptried not to make any sudden movements that could wake her up. It was the first time I&nbspheard her snore. It was also the first time I&nbspfelt the pinch in my chest that so resembles the plucking of heartstrings. Now I&nbspcould go on with the inane details but I’m going to cut to the chase. The thing you have to know to understand my fiancée is that she is feisty. The first time I&nbspsaid I&nbsplove you, she retorted, “I&nbsplove… coconut.“You should also know that I’m equal amounts trouble. When she met my parents for the first time, I&nbspbroke the awkwardness by directly saying, “What do you think of her?” every 15 minutes or so.

So when I&nbspsay that there probably is not a&nbspsingle person more qualified to be my wife, you know that it is true. She can handle me. I&nbspcan handle her. She knows me. I&nbspknow her. It’s not easy to find someone like that and it also doesn’t hurt that I’m madly in love with her.

The point is simple—sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes you find your missing puzzle piece, the piece that fits perfectly into the cutout pattern of your life. I&nbspget to share great moments with her like standing in the serene gardens of Kyoto, dancing the night away in Osaka, riding elephants in Chiang Mai, or standing at the top of SkyBar in Bangkok. She doesn’t complain when we’re shuffling 100-pound bags between trains and planes at 4&nbspAM (actually, she does complain, but don’t tell her I&nbspsaid that). I&nbspknow that I&nbspcan trust her with not only the little things like holding on to my passport or reminding me to pick up my dry cleaning, but also with the real things—my head, my health, and my heart.

What can I&nbspsay? I’m the luckiest guy in the world. We get married this Christmas Eve.